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Order of the Silver Hand
The Order of the Silver Hand is the order of paladins created shortly after the first war by Uther the Lightbringer and Archbishop Alonsus Faol. History The Holy Order of Northshire Clerics, led by Archbishop Alonsus Faol, was devastated during the First War. Seeking to create an order that would suffer less attrition in battle, Faol recruited Noble knights to train in the ways of the Light and members of the priesthood to train in martial combat. In Alonsus Chapel in Stratholme, Uther the Lightbringer was appointed the first of the paladins. He was followed by Saidan Dathrohan, Tirion Fordring and Turalyon (Both candidates recommended by Alonsus Faol himself.) as well as Gavinrad the Dire (a candidate proposed by Lord Anduin Lothar). The Order of the Silver Hand was thus born. The Silver Hand bastion in Stratholme The paladins were instrumental in winning the second war, and the sight of them wielding their holy powers gave others inspiration on the battlefield and the home front. Uther and his paladins were truly a sight to behold. Even some of the Alliance's greatest knights and warriors were in awe when they saw them smashing orcs down while healing fallen allies at the same time. Uther was the first paladin known to have manifested his powers on the battlefield and was given the title of "the Lightbringer" by Turalyon. Turalyon himself did not master his powers until after Lothar's death during the Assault on Blackrock Spire, but once he did the orcish army cowered from his blinding light. After the war, the Order of the Silver Hand began training new paladins in Stormwind and Ironforge. Arthas Menethil, Prince of Lordaeron, was sworn into the order in a ceremony performed in Stormwind's Cathedral of Light. The Scourge of Lordaeron The appearance of the plague of undeath nearly marked the end of the Order of the Silver Hand. The paladins entered a dark period when Prince Arthas turned his back on the order. When Uther refused to follow Arthas' command to kill the infected population of Stratholme before they could die and be reborn as undead, Arthas suspended the paladins from service. Arthas later lost his soul to the cursed runeblade Frostmourne and became a death knight in the service of the Lich King. Returning to Lordaeron, Arthas slew King Terenas and several paladins, including Uther The Lightbringer. After the Third War The Scarlet Crusade. Many of the paladins who remained in Lordaeron continued to fight against the Scourge. Under the leadership of Lord Commander Saidan Dathrohan and Highlord Alexandros Mograine, who wielded the Ashbringer, the paladins fought the undead throughout the Plaguelands. From their base at Hearthglen, they were able to gain some victories, but they were unable to achieve their goal: the complete destruction of the Scourge. Worried about the Forsaken entrenching themselves in the Ruins of Lordaeron, the paladins established a base in what would later be known as the Scarlet Monastery in Tirisfal Glades. They also made an alliance with Lord Valdelmar of Tyr's Hand for mutual assistance. However, during an attack on Stratholme, Lord Commander Saidan Dathrohan was possessed by the dreadlord Balnazzar. Balnazzar started slowly working against the order's objectives from the inside. Fearing that the Ashbringer might destroy the Forsaken before his plans could come to fruition, Varimathras had Balnazzar arrange Alexandros's death. The possessed Saidan Dathrohan then reorganized what remained of the Silver Hand in Lordaeron into the Scarlet Crusade. These paladins strove fanatically to destroy evil, without any regards to the means used, and despised all non-human races. Other paladins, disgusted with the Scarlet Crusaders' zealotry, formed the Argent Dawn, which took a less extreme approach and accepted members from all of Azeroth's races into their ranks. The Traitor, Tirion Fordring After the death of his son, Taelan, the exile, Tirion Fordring (Who was excommunicated from the order by Uther himself) formed his own order of the Silver Hand. Though many who were ignorant of the man's history recognized his authority to do so, most of the paladins of Wolf's Crossing did not. Category:Order of the Silver Hand Category:Organizations